Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to irrigation and, in particular, to soil moisture probing at variable depth.
Description of the Related Art
Soil moisture measurements are required to determine the amount of water to be used for irrigation. To obtain reliable soil moisture measurements, soil moisture sensors are buried in the ground. In many cases, the soil moisture sensors can be brittle and require significant work in order to be inserted in the ground. Moreover, such soil moisture sensors require a reliable contact between the electrodes and the soil. Such insertion will require digging a hole and then allowing the soil to settle in order for the sensor to make good contact with the soil. Thus, the contact will not be reliable until the ground has settled. Due to the digging and/or shoveling, the soil is disturbed and the resultant measurement may not reflect the profile that may be encountered in undisturbed places where the ground was set through years. Furthermore, measuring moisture at different depths requires the insertion of individual sensors that may require separate processing and signal conditioning. Thus, there is a need for an improved way to make soil measurements at varying depths.